Screw driver having removable ratchet grip



UCL 5, 1948. E, G, FA'SON 2,450,504

SCREW DRIVER 'HAVING REMOVABLBRATCHET GRIP Filed 001'.. 17, 1944 Patentedv Oct. 5, 1948 SCREW DRIVER HAVING REMOVABLE RATCHET GRIP Ernest G. Farson, Xenia, Ohio Application October 17, 1944, Serial No. 559,018

1 Claim.

1 This invention appertains to new and useful improvements in screwdrivers, the principal object 'being to provi-de a screwdriver having a grip which is constantly grasped by the operator while driving a screw, thus alleviating the frequent injurious effect of the constant rubbing of a screwdriver handle against the hand.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a screwdriver handle with a ratchet grip whereby the handle may be rotated without releasing the grasp of the hand on the grip.

Still another important object of the invention is to provide an improved screwdriverl which will lessen to a considerable extent the effort now required in driving screws.

Other objects and advantages of the invention shall become apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational View, showing a portion of the grip broken away.

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the screwdriver with the grip removed.

Figure 3 is an inside elevational View of the grip.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view with a portion broken away showing a special grip for reversely rotating the screwdriver.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view with a portion broken away showing a rubber cap as a substitute for the grip.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that numeral 5 denotes a screwdriver handle while numeral 6 designates the usual shank.

It is to be understood that conventional screwdrivers can be converted to accommodate the present invention by simply cutting off the butt end of the handle 5 on a plane at right angles to the axis of the handle, in order that a plate 1, forming part of the present invention may be secured to this end of the handle by screws 8. The plate l is provided with a plurality of radially disposed upstanding lugs 9.

The invention further consists of an open ended, hollow cap I0, the cylindrical surface of which is preferably knurle'd or otherwise roughene'd to afford a good hand grip surface.

The end wall of the cap is provided on its inner 2 surface with an annular row of beveled ratchet teeth il.

f It can be seen that when the cap I0 is disposed over the end of the handle 5, the handle 5 will be rotated as the cap I0 is rotated, due to the abutment of the shoulders of the ratchet teeth Il against the lugs 9. The cap l0 can always be rotated backwardly without turning the handle 5 as the sloping sides of the teeth l0 will simply ride over the lugs 9. The operator can always maintain a rrn grip on the cap I0 regardless of the direction of rotation.

For operating the screwdriver in a reverse direction, a cap [0a constructed very similarly to the cap I 0 is employed and has ratchet teeth lla at the inner side of the end Wall which teeth have shoulders which engage the lugs 9 of the screw driver only when the screwdriver is moved in a counter-clockwise direction, that is, when unscrewing screws. The same convenience is prevalent in that the operator does not have to release his hand from the cap Ia in rotating the screwdriver.

From the above, it is obvious that a conventional` wooden handle screwdriver can be readily converted to a ratchet type screw driver by employing the present invention. In other words, the present invention could be marketed as an attachment for conventional screwdriver handles, besides being incorporated in new Screwdrivers.

Under certain circumstances it may be desirous not to employ the cap I0 or the cap Illa and under such conditions, a rubber or other resilient cap I2 may be employed, the top portion of which has a plurality of radially disposed recesses I3 for receiving the lugs 9 of the screwdriver handle 5.

While the foregoing description sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a screwdriver having a handle and a shank projecting from one end of the handle, a iat plate secured on the opposite end -of the handle and having Va plurality of angularly spaced apart lugs upstanding from the side thereof opposite the 3 handle, and a hollow cap tted over the plate attached end of the handle and having an end wall provided on its inner surface with a plurality of angularly spaced apart, beveled ratchet teeth engageable with said plate lugs to restrain said cap against rotation in one direction re1- ative to said handle.

ERNEST G. FARSON.

REFERENCES CITED Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Parish Mar. 5, 1878 Partridge Oct. 31, 1882 Marbach June 19, 1906 Benjamin Jan. 7, 1913 Benjamin Jan. 7, 1913 Troutman Oct. 10, 1922 Lipscomb Oct. 20, 1925 Halsey June 14, 1927 Haumerson July 20, 1943 

